Committee refers 'yellow alert' task force bill after survivor's testimony about hit‑and‑run

Representative Norris presented House File 1597 to create a task force to study the establishment of a "yellow alert" system to help law enforcement locate hit‑and‑run drivers responsible for crashes causing serious injury or death. Norris said similar systems operate in other states and emphasized poor arrest and prosecution rates for hit‑and‑run drivers.

Lehi Stefani, identified in committee as a hit‑and‑run survivor, described being struck in a high‑speed crash in which the at‑fault driver fled and prosecutors did not pursue the case. Stefani said the incident caused prolonged physical and emotional harm and urged lawmakers to implement a public‑alert tool similar to Amber Alerts for abductions. "There needs to be a change," Stefani said.

Representative Norris said the bill's a2 amendment makes technical updates and deletes an appropriation section after a $0 fiscal‑note determination. The committee took testimony and then re‑referred HF1597 as amended to the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee by voice vote.

Next steps: HF1597 will move to the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee for further study and recommendations on whether and how Minnesota should implement yellow alerts for hit‑and‑run incidents.